The March of War

Going to the battlefield is a grave matter; it is not a dinner party.

To earn merit, strength is paramount, but beyond strength, one needs reliable companions. Where do reliable companions come from? Naturally, they are forged in the heat of battle.

They are tempered by the trials of blood and fire on the front lines.

Uchiha Fukuyama, Hideki, and Haku—he was familiar with all three, and they were accustomed to working together. Changing to a different group would certainly not be as smooth, and furthermore, these three were his first step toward reaching for power within the Uchiha clan.

"Big Brother Hideki, has the situation really become this tense?!"

"Yes, my second brother has already received orders and begun preparations. Besides, Haku has also received word."

Hideki's second brother was also a chunin with decent strength. At twenty years old, he was considered a core ninja of the Uchiha clan. Haku's father was a jonin of the Uchiha clan qualified to attend jonin meetings, so his access to information was naturally much better than the average person's.

"Father said the Third Kazekage has gone missing. Sunagakure is accusing Konoha of killing the Third Kazekage and has already declared war!"

"Their own Kage goes missing, and when they can't find him, they claim Konoha did it!?" Although he had long known the truth about the Kazekage and the Third Great Ninja War, upon hearing this news, Suifeng still expressed shock and disdain. "Sunagakure is truly regressing. They can't even keep track of their own Kage, yet they blame Konoha. It's laughable!"

"They are indeed laughable, but war is no laughing matter!" Hideki frowned and said, "This war will likely drag on for a long time. Suifeng, we need to be prepared."

"Hmm, alright!" After all, he was just a child now; he couldn't act as if he knew everything, or it would only invite suspicion. "Let's go find Uchiha Fukuyama and see what he has to say. Also, Hideki, Haku, have you mastered that ninja art I taught you?!"

"Uh...!"

Mentioning the ninja art Suifeng taught, Hideki's face flushed. "That technique has such high requirements for chakra control that I haven't made much headway yet. However, Haku has already learned it!"

"Don't listen to his nonsense. I haven't fully mastered it, but I can already expand the circle to two meters," Haku said, blushing.

This was exactly why Hideki and Haku wanted to be in a squad with Suifeng. Setting aside his strength, his talent for developing techniques could no longer be described as genius; "monster" was a more fitting term.

He had already stunned them by independently developing the taijutsu known as Iron Body, and now he had created a brand-new sensory ninja art: Ninja Art: Circle.

This ninja art had exceptional sensory effects; it could be said that it would greatly increase their survival rate on the battlefield.

Beyond these two techniques, Suifeng's current Shave Body Flicker was also breathtaking.

Most importantly, Suifeng did not keep his secrets to himself!

Although Iron Body had been designated a secret technique by the clan and a gag order had been issued, as the developer, Suifeng had still passed these two taijutsu techniques to them. He had also shared the principles of Shave Body Flicker and this current reconnaissance ninja art without reservation.

The only thing that frustrated them was that the techniques Suifeng developed had extremely high requirements for both chakra and physical control. In other words, the techniques were of a very high grade; simply being taught the method did not mean one could learn it.

Of the three techniques Suifeng had developed, the one Hideki had the most grasp of was Shave Body Flicker. Of course, reaching Suifeng's level was not easy, but by utilizing Shave Body Flicker, he had nearly doubled his speed. This increase in speed brought an increase in strength; although he had not yet awakened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he already possessed the strength of a Special Jonin.

Training in Iron Body was still ongoing, and while not yet fully successful, he had gained a certain feel for it. Only the recently developed Ninja Art: Circle left him completely baffled.

It was a reconnaissance ninja art, which Suifeng claimed was specifically developed to counter the Kirigakure Silent Killing Technique.

By condensing chakra and expanding it outward with oneself as the center, one could detect intruders within the range of the chakra. It sounded simple, but this ninja art required extremely high chakra control. He was completely lost, though Haku seemed very compatible with it and picked it up quickly. Limited by her own chakra, she could only expand the circle to two meters, but that was already remarkable. On the battlefield, this was a god-tier skill for preventing ambushes.

It was precisely because they had received so many benefits and witnessed Suifeng's terrifying talent at close range that they were now completely convinced by him, shedding the ridiculous arrogance previously common among the Uchiha clan.

Uchiha Clan, Training Ground

Seeing the three of them arrive together, Uchiha Fukuyama was somewhat surprised, but once Hideki spoke, he understood. It seemed the news of the war could no longer be kept hidden.

"You are overthinking things; how personnel are assigned is not something we can decide," Uchiha Fukuyama said. "Although we have been a team and have developed some rapport, and generally wouldn't be split up, our squad's situation is a bit special."

"Special? What is so special about it?!"

"Suifeng's strength is too great; you cannot keep up with his pace." Fukuyama pondered for a moment before speaking bluntly. "I am your captain for now, but once we reach the battlefield, if the war demands it, I will be fighting as a jonin. If the war drags on, or if I am injured or killed, I will no longer be able to lead you. At that point, a new jonin will lead you. Furthermore, generally speaking, a combination like yours on the battlefield is primarily tasked with patrol and logistical support. After all, you are still too young. Take Haku, for example; she knows Medical Ninjutsu and will likely be assigned to a field hospital. As for Suifeng..." He glanced at Suifeng. "Although he is only a chunin, his combat power has reached that of a jonin. On the battlefield, he is a primary combatant, and I believe that with Suifeng's strength, he will soon be able to hold his own. By then, you might even be under his command!"

Hideki and Haku immediately understood.

In the end, it all came down to strength. Their strength could not keep up with Suifeng's; they were on completely different levels, and the roles they would play on the battlefield would be entirely different. How could they possibly be assigned together?

It was Fukuyama's last sentence that ignited hope in the two of them.

"That's true, I was overthinking it. Perhaps in a while, Suifeng will be a powerhouse in his own right. When that time comes, don't forget about us!" Hideki said to Suifeng with a smile.

"That is the situation. The war has begun. Suifeng, the clan's intention is for you to stay by my side on the battlefield to familiarize yourself with the war, and then we will make adjustments based on how the situation develops."

"Yes, Fukuyama-sensei!"